- Maulana Azad National Fellowship:The objective of the Maulana Azad Fellowship Scheme (MANF) is to provide five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance.It is given to students from six notified minority communities viz. Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi and Sikh, notified by the Central Government, to pursue M. Phil and Ph.D.The scheme covers all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission as under:
- Central/State Universities (including constituent and affiliated institutions)
- Deemed Universities
- Institutions fully funded by the State / Central Government and empowered to award degrees.
- Institutions of National Importance as notified by Ministry of Human Resource Development
The Fellowship will cater to the minority community students pursuing regular and full time research studies leading to award of M.Phil/Ph.D degree within India only.This will enable them to be eligible for employment to the posts with M.Phil and Ph.D as pre- requisites, including the posts of Assistant Professors in various academic institutions.UGC will be the nodal agency for implementing this fellowship.
- Bhil Tribe:Bhils are considered as one of the oldest tribes in India.The name ‘Bhil’ is derived from the word villu or billu, which according to the Dravidian language is known as Bow. They could be identified as one of the Dravidian racial tribes of Western India and belong to the Australoid group of tribes.They are mainly divided into two main groups: the central and eastern or Rajput Bhils. The central Bhils are found in the mountain regions in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Bhils are also found in the north eastern parts of Tripura.They speak Bhili, which is an Indo Aryan language.Religion practice among the Bhils differ from place to place.Most of them worship local deities like Khandoba, Kanhoba, Bahiroba, and Sitalmata. Some worship the Tiger God called ‘vaghdev’. They consult Badvas -the hereditary sorcerers on all the occasions. The Baneshwar fair is the main festival celebrated among the Bhils. This fair is held during the period of Shivratri and is dedicated to Baneshwar Mahadev also known as Lord Shiva.
- Green Deposit:In general terms, a green deposit is a fixed-term deposit for those who want to invest in environmentally friendly projects. Just like a regular Fixed Deposit scheme, the green deposit pays interest to its investors and has a fixed term. The proceeds that a bank gets from deposit holders get earmarked for allocation to green finance.A green fixed deposit, also known as an environmentally friendly fixed deposit, is a financial instrument that encourages sustainable development by channeling funds towards projects focused on renewable energy, clean technology, or other environmentally beneficial initiatives.The green activities/ projects financed under the framework can be classified under priority sector if they meet the requirements laid down in priority sector lending (PSL) guidelines of RBI.Banks are allowed to offer overdraft facility to customers against Green Deposits.The current framework permits green deposits to be denominated in Indian Rupees only.The deposits raised under the framework are covered by Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) in accordance with the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961 and the regulations framed there under, as amended from time to time.
